Free The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Lisa Dickenson Page B

to Penny. When someone you love already has the job of your dreams it’s pretty mortifying to admit how much you envy them. Penny’s eyes were drooping anyway. Claudia knew she could move on without answering the question.
    ‘I think I’ll go home today,’ she declared.
    ‘You don’t have to leave, I like having you here.’
    ‘I like it, too. I couldn’t have got through this last week without you.’ She really couldn’t have, and the thought of going back to her flat filled her with dread. But she had to, so moaning wasn’t allowed.
    ‘Don’t say sweet things because I’ll throw up on your face,’ Penny mumbled with a smile.
    ‘I need to go back, have a sort out, be a grown-up. I can’t wear your underwear for ever.’
    ‘Don’t forget to be at Winter Wonderland for eleven, though.’
    Claudia glanced at the clock: 9.30. She looked blankly at Penny, who prompted: ‘Your blind date.’
    ‘Oh no, I can’t do it. You have to cancel.’
    ‘Noooooooooooo.’
    ‘Penny, look at me.’ She pulled at her half-in, half-out remnant of a ponytail. She stretched open her bloodshot eyelids with her fingers.
    ‘Shh, don’t shout,’ begged Penny. ‘Go and have a shower. If you still feel rubbish when you come out I’ll cancel for you.’ She pulled down the eye mask from her forehead, and lowered her head to the counter.
    Claudia emerged twenty minutes later, steam-cleaned and wrapped in a soft John Lewis towel. Her body felt a little better, but her mind was still crashed and burnt at the side of the road.
    She checked her phone, which she’d left on silent. Wow. The count was up to six messages and three missed calls since last night. All from Nick. All ignored.
    What was he so desperate to say?
I’m sorry, I just don’t think about you like that?
She itched to read the texts but was in no rush to hear that little gem. Go away, go away, go away.
    Maybe she could read one. Her heart thudded as she opened the first one, dated at 1am that morning.
    ‘
Claud, I’m so sorry the evening ended like that. Can I come and see you in the morning?
’ No.
    She opened one from 4.17 a.m. ‘
Are you asleep?
’
    She opened the latest, sent at 9.32. ‘
Sorry to sound like a soap opera character, but we need to talk a bit, please.
’ She swiftly hit ‘delete’ on the whole batch.
    ‘How are you feeling?’ asked Penny, coming out of her room looking even rougher than before.
    ‘Like crap, with crap on. Can you cancel this blind date?’
    Penny nodded, picking up her phone. ‘You might want to put some clothes on by the way, you rudey nude. Nick’s on his way over.’
    Claudia froze. ‘Now?’
    ‘Yeah. Is that okay?’
    ‘Sure …’ Claudia dived for her suitcase and pulled out some jeans and a big pink woolly jumper. This would have to do. ‘You know what?’ she said, injecting brightness into her voice. ‘I think I will go on that date.’ Penny lowered her phone. ‘You’re right, it’ll do me good. It’s getting late, though, so I’d better shoot off.’
    She frantically lobbed some items in to her handbag and zipped up the suitcase, pushing it against the wall. ‘I’ll pick this up later, or tomorrow, whatever.’
    She pulled on her flat brown leather boots and ran a brush through her hair.
    Taking a look in the mirror and recoiling, she quickly rubbed on some tinted moisturiser and added a sweep of mascara.
    Penny handed her a slip of paper and yawned. ‘Okay, cool. This is his number. His name’s Eddie. He’s going to meet you by the Ferris wheel.’
    ‘Ferris wheel, got it.’ Claudia gave her friend a quick one-armed hug, her heart pounding at the thought of running into Nick in the corridor. ‘Thanks again for looking after me. I’ll do the “Single Lades” routine with you at the wedding as a thank you.’
    ‘Cool!’
    Claudia hurried out the door.
Go, go, go!
    ‘Eddie’s pretty easy to spot, by the way,’ Penny called after her. ‘He’s quite short.’
    The endless lush